Wire-twisting machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

DANIEL A. KILMER, OF HOXVES GAVE, NEXT YORK.

WIRE-TWISTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,553, dated July 27,1880.

' Application filed Junel 1880. (No model.)

Z all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL A. KILMER, of

Howes Cave, in the county of Schoharie and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Twisters; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a side elevation of mywire-twister, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rearview. Fig. at is a bottom view; and Figs. 5, (i, 7, 8, 9, and 10 aredetail views.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of machinesdesigned for twisting short lengths of wire into loops to be used forbale-ties and other similar binders; and it has for its object toprovide a means for automatically discharging the loops, as they aresuccessively formed, from the machine and registering the number of theloops formed, as more fully hereinafter specified.

These objects 1 accomplish by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- The letter A indicates the frame of themachine, and B an adjustable support having standards O at each endprovided with journal-hearin gs D for the Wire-twisting shaft E. Thesaid shaft is provided with spiral grooves F, which carry thereversely-arranged cords Gr, connected to the foot levers or pedals H,by means of which the said shaft may be rotated back and forth. Theforward end of said shaft is provided With a socket, I, which is adaptedto receive a tool to seize the wire to be looped and twist the same whenthe shaft is rotated in proper direction.

The letter It indicates an upright or vertical standard mounted upon anadjustable plate secured to the base of the apparatus by means of abinding-screw, L. The said standard extends through a slot or opening,M, in the bed or table of the machine, and forms one jaw of a clampingdevice, the other jaw, K, of which is pivoted to said upright at N, asshown in the drawings. A spring, T, expands the jaws.

The letter 0 indicates a lever mounted on a shaft, P, journaled inbearings R on the table of the machine, and carrying a cam, S, whichbears against the jaw K of the clamping device and serves to operate thesame to seize and release the wire to be twisted.

The letter U indicates a lever fulcrumed at V to the under side of thebed or table of the machine, and connected to the lower end of the leverO by means of a link or connecting rod, A. The said lever U is held in anormal position by means of a spiral spring, 13, and at its forward orfree end is bifurcated. so as to embrace the lowerend of an angle-lever,G, fulcrumed in bearings D, mounted upon the table of the apparatus. Theupper arm of said lever has pivoted to its end a finger, E, which, inits normal condition, extends forward and lies under the wire held inthe clamping device and being twisted by the shaft E, but which iscapable of being thrown back when the lever is released, so as to throwthe twisted loop out of the way and discharge it from the apparatus.

To the lever U is connected a pawl, F, by means of an adjustableconnection, F which pawl is adapted to engage and operate aratchet-wheel, G, journaled to a hanger, A depending from the table ofthe machine. The said ratchet-wheel carries a disk or wheel, A havingindentations (one or more) I, for the purpose hereinafter specified.

The letter K indicates a lever fulcrumed to a hanger, L, depending fromthe under side of the table of the machine and having at one end ahammer, K the other end bearing upon the periphery of the disk or wheelA The letter M represents a spring bearing upon the lever K which keepsthe said lever in a normal position on the disk or wheel A and so as tothrow it into theindentation when the disk arrives at the proper place,in order to strike and sound the hell 1 secured to the under side of thetable of the apparatus.

The clamping device R K is pivoted to its base-plate in such manner thatits upper end may be moved laterally, so as to give or yield as the wireis twisted, and prevent injury to the same. A spring, Z, Fig. 5, returnsthe upper end of the clamping device to its normal position after it hasbeen moved laterally, as above described.

The foot-levers or pedals of the apparatus are providedwith ratchetedshafts L", by means of which the cords passing over the drivingshaft maybe adjusted so as to carry or move said driving-shaft in or from anyposition to which it may be set, to increase or diminish the length ofthe twist required to form the loop.

As shown in Fig. 9, a chuck is represented, designed to be secured tothe shaft E in place of the hook shown in the socket, in order to twistthe wire with the diamond-shaped crossbar.

The object of the alarm-bell and operative mechanism connected therewithis to signal to the operator the number of finished loops that have beenmade, the number having been previously determined by setting theratchet wheel G.

Let the ratchet-wheel G represent a wheel having twenty-live teeth. Tothis ratchet wheel is secured the cam-wheel A''. To set the wheel sothat the signal will be given when twenty-five finished loops have beendischarged from the machine the end of the lever K which bears upon theperiphery of the cam-wheel A should be placed in the indentation I. Whenthe lever 0 shall have been operated twenty-five times the pawl F willhave caused the ratchet-wheel G, with its C2llll\\'1l6l'l A to make onerevolution, and the lever K will have been raised at its bearing end andpermitted to drop into the indentation I, the point at which it waspreviously set, thereby causing the signal to be given to the operator.

It will be readily observed that the ratchetwheel may be graduated, orthat wheels with teeth varying in number maybe interchangeably used forthis purpose, so that the ratchetwheel may be set to signal a greater orless number of finished loops.

The number of signals niay be recorded, so that when the operator ceaseswork the score only need be looked at to determine the whole number offinished loopsihat have been made.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In awire-twisting machine, the combina tion of the twisting-shaft E,provided with the spiral grooves F and the socket I, supported in thestandard 0, with the reversely arranged cords G, and the treadles H H,carrying the ratchet-shafts L substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In a wire-twisting-niachine, the combina tion of the cam-lever O, foroperating the clamping-jaws, the connecting-rod A, pivoted andbifurcated lever U, and the angle-iron O, carrying the pivoted finger E,for the purpose of discharging the finished loops from the machine, asset forth.

3. In a wire-twisting machine, the combination of the elampingjaws R K,the standard of which is pivoted in an adjustable base-plate securedbythe nut L, with the twisting-shaft E, constructed and operating asdescribed, to give the upper portion of the clamping devices anindependent lateral movement while the wire is being twisted, as and forthe purpose set forth.

4. In a wire-twisting machine, the combination of the cam-lever U, foroperating the clampingjaws, the rod A, tension-spring B, pivoted leverU, adjustable pawl" F, ratchet and cam wheels G A, pivoted lever K Kspring M, and alarm-bell I", constructed and operating substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL A. KILMER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT EVERETT, JAMES J. SHEEHY.

